Coronavirus Cork LIVE as news on Leaving Cert and Ireland's restrictions expected

25/03/2020 Minister for Health Simon Harris TD at Government Buildings, Dublin during the launch of An Post's Covid-19 Public Information Booklet (Image: Gareth Chaney/Collins)

Welcome to the most normal of the abnormal lockdown days.

Today's scenes around the city may be closer to what they might have been two years ago as shops and pubs shut up for Good Friday.

Last night 500 more cases of coronavirus were confirmed and sadly 28 people passed away.

There are now 6,574 recorded cases in the republic while the total number of deaths stands at 263.

What's coming today?

Checkpoints

Today checkpoints will be prevalent al around the country as gardai move to ensure people stay within the 2km radius of their homes and don't spread out to holiday parks around the country.

West Cork will be one particular area where locals are fearing an influx of tourists despite the government measures.

Exams

People are also expecting an update on the Leaving Cert today as the Department of Education has been called on to give more clarity to students on how the exam plans will be adapted to keep them safe.

Extension

The National Public Health Emergency Team are also expected to announce an extension of the lockdown measures.

Government officials have confirmed that this will likely be the case for at least another week and an official announcement is expected either today for tomorrow.

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The current restrictions had initially been due to end on Easter Sunday but that will need to be put back another while as we take no chances on safety.

Experts estimated that Ireland would've been closer to 100,000 cases if these rules didn't come in.

We'll bring you live updates on all of these stories as they come in in our liveblog below.

We'll also keep you updated on everything local from all corners of the county!

19:08Joe O'Shea

We will continue to monitor breaking news through the evening.

And we will be back from early morning with all our latest news and updates as Cork, the country and the world faces more weeks of this huge public health emergency.

19:06Joe O'Shea

Confusion over "official figures"

Dr Tony Holohan has spent much of this nightly press conference trying to explain the discrepancy between nightly numbers from the Department of Health and what is being reported by the European Centre for Disease Control for Ireland.

Dr Holohan is saying that they are trying to be as accurate as possible but because some tests are being sent to Germany for analysis - there is a lag between these being reported from Germany and added into the daily figures.

18:56Joe O'Shea

Italy extends lockdown to May 3rd

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has confirmed they have taken the "difficult" decision to extend their lock down until 3 May.

"We are extending the restrictions until May 3. It is a difficult but necessary decision for which I assume full political responsibility," said Mr Conte.

Italy's world-topping coronavirus death toll rose today to 18,849.

18:55Joe O'Shea

Latest figures - in the last 25 hours - 25 dead - 480 new cases

18:48Joe O'Shea

EU figures show a discrepancy with Irish stats

Stats from The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) shows Ireland has 12% more confirmed cases of Covid-19 than the official press release here stated.

The ECDC daily stats website is showing that 7,393 people in Ireland have tested positive for the virus, up to yesterday, Thursday 10 April.

This compares with the total of 6,574 confirmed cases reported by the Department of Health through its press release yesterday evening.

The discrepancy equates to additional 819 cases, which is 12% more than the amount reported officially in Ireland.

The numbers listed by the ECDC are the officially supplied to them from Ireland by the Department of health and there appears to be some sort of lag between figures reported to the ECDC and those released by the Department of Health

The difference between the two numbers is yet to be clarified by the Department but it is understood to relate to the results a large number of swab tests sent to Germany for analysis in order to clear the backlog and testing in Ireland.

18:43Joe O'Shea

France sees death and infection rates climb

France has reported 987 more coronavirus deaths in the past 24-hours.

Deaths in hospitals are up by 554 to 8,598 with deaths in nursing homes up by 433 to 4,599.

The total number of deaths from the virus in France is now over 13,000.

18:29Joe O'Shea

Mass graves being dug in New York

Teams of labourers are excavating mass graves in New York City - as the city faces a crisis point.

The traditional site for "pauper's graves" - Potter's Field on Hart Island - is the place of burial as as the city's daily death rate has reached record highs in each of the last 72-hours.

New York state has now recorded more than 7,000 deaths from Covid-19.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in the state rose by 799 yesterday, a record high for a third day, outdoing the previous high of 779 announced on Wednesday.

18:24Joe O'Shea

Great work by a Cork company now producing ventilators

Wisetek staff have switched over to assembling much-needed ventilators for hospitals all over the country

18:22Joe O'Shea

Latest figures due shortly

Dr Tony Holohan will be announcing the latest statistics from the last 24 hours at around 6.35pm and we will have them here.

17:57Joe O'Shea

LE Eithne stands ready

She has not been called into service yet - but its a reassuring sight for people to see the old naval service ship on our docks

Ready and waiting to help

17:54Joe O'Shea

Cork kid raises big sum for Mercy hospital with back-garden 5km

Hats off to him - and Snowie the dog was the official steward who ensured that everything passed off safely.

17:52Joe O'Shea

FAI suspends all football until May 5th

The FAI - in line with the Government extension of restrictions - has suspended all football under it's jurisdiction until May 5th.

You may take it as read that there will be no sporting activity anywhere until at least that date and probably quite a bit beyond it

17:18Joe O'Shea

Musician plays concert as nursing home residents listen through windows

Hats off to North Cork musician Willie Collins who brightened up the week for the isolated residents and staff.

16:46Joe O'Shea

2km rule does not apply to victims of domestic abuse

The Government has reassured victims of domestic violence that services of the State remain available to them.

Liz Canavan, Assistant Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach, said the 2km travel restriction does not apply to people trying to escape domestic abuse.

Ms Canavan said at a time when people are asked to stay at home, the Government is conscious it may not be a safe place for some people.

Gardaí have been asked to prioritise suspected instances of domestic abuse, and that other frontline services remain available to potential victims.

16:43Joe O'Shea

UK coronavirus deaths rise by 953 as toll goes above 9,000

A deepening crisis in the in the UK - they are close to recording 1,000 deaths a day. Latest 24-hour fatality figure is 953.

16:29Joe O'Shea

Framework document for Government could be published today

Taoiseach says the talks on a framework are expected to end today - a document could be agreed - it will then go to the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael leaders - who would then put it to their parties and then (try and keep up here) they would approach a smaller party such as the Greens and seek support to form a Government.

So - when it comes to giving us a government - a lot done, a lot more to do.

16:27Joe O'Shea

Briefing is over in Dublin

The Main Points -

* Full lockdown to continue until Tuesday May 5th - just after the May Bank Holiday weekend.

* The Leaving Cert will take place in late July or in August - a date for the start will be announced in early June.

* The Junior Cert is cancelled - to be replaced with classroom exams

* Infection rates are falling - growth down from 30 per cent to 10 per cent

16:23Gavin O'Callaghan

Covid-19 Cork: Irish government extend coronavirus restrictions until May

16:22Gavin O'Callaghan

Junior Cert cancelled and Leaving Cert postponed until late summer

16:19Joe O'Shea

Education Minister Joe McHugh asks students and families to be patient

"We want to provide several weeks notice to prepare for exams - I hope this relieves some of the stress and anxiety students and their families are experiencing"

16:18Joe O'Shea

Leaving Cert has been postponed - Junior Cert has been cancelled

Leaving cert will now be held in July or early August - a definite date will not be announced until early June

The Junior Cert is cancelled and will be replaced by classroom exams

16:16Joe O'Shea

Lockdown extended to May 5th

Taoiseach has just said that the lockdown will be extended to May 5th - three more weeks of the current rules

16:02Gavin O'Callaghan

Follow Leo Varadkar's announcement as it happens here

15:50Joe O'Shea

Education Joe McHugh is expected to make announcement on schools and exams

The Minister is expected to attend and address the issues that matter to Ireland's parents and students - he should speak after the Taoiseach

15:47Joe O'Shea

Expert warns that lockdown measures could stay in place "until mid-June"

A health expert has given a 'realistic date' on when lockdown restrictions will be lifted in Ireland.

Professor of Neurosciences at Trinity College Dublin, Kingston Mills, believes that the country will be stuck with measures of some sort for at least another eight weeks.

Speaking on RTE Radio One's Sean O'Rourke show, Professor Mills said it would be "mid-June" before things would start to come back to normal in the country.

He added that the main figures currently being looked at by health chiefs was the flatten of the curve in order be able to successfully treat those in need as quickly and effectively as possible.

On the other hand, some restrictions on movement in Ireland could be lifted within a couple of weeks, a health service adviser has said.

Cillian De Gascun, chairman of the HSE's expert advisory group on Covid-19, said "real-time" testing and contact tracing systems would need to be in place before any relaxation of the lockdown could happen.

It is expected that health chiefs will meet today and announce a new lockdown extension date.

15:45Joe O'Shea

Sinn Féinn warns that testing needs to be ramped up

Sinn Féin health spokesperson Louise O’Reilly has said the COVID-19 testing issues need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Speaking this afternoon, O’Reilly said:

“The reports that yet again testing for COVID-19 at two of the State’s largest testing facilities has ground to a halt is concerning and indicative of persistent problems across the testing system.

“At the end of March, similar issues arose with testing sites suspending testing due to a lack of testing kits.

“The most recent reports that testing has slowed to a trickle at the Croke Park and Páirc Uí Chaoimh testing facilities is concerning given that people are waiting to be tested.